Nanda & Nathan The Travellers: Venice, Italy

March 12-13, 2015 ----Everyone wants to go to Venice once in a lifetime. Why? Well, because it is one of the most romantic cities in the world! Nathan and I planned to visit Venice, Florence and Pisa for our last trip to Italy while living in Europe. It was very convenient to take a train from Munich to Venice Santa Lucia Train Station. The ride through the Alps was very enjoyable and in 7 hours we were in the middle of the romantic city. We stayed in a hotel close to the train station for convenience because we had to board a train to Florence in the evening of the next day.

After a full night’s rest, Nathan and I were fresh and ready to explore Venice. We decided to follow Rick Steves's free audio guide for "The Grand Canal Cruise" which started right at the train station. First we bought a ticket for the Vaporettos or a public boat that runs regularly through the Grand Canal. A single ticket costs €7 and a day ticket €20. We just got a single ticket because we planned to explore the island on foot later. The audio tour was very enjoyable and the view of Venice from the boat was fantastic!

After about an hour on the boat we finally reached St. Mark's Square. No one completes his/her trip to Venice without a stroll in this square. Risk Steves also has a free audio tour of the square called "St. Mark's Square Tour" which lasts about 45 minutes. At the square, there are many major tourist sites all around. The Doge's Palace is located right next to St. Mark's Basilica and there is a bridge connecting the palace to the prison called "Bridge of Sighs" where most tourists want to have their photo snapped. Across from the palace is St. Mark's Campanile, a lighthouse where people get in line to climb up for a great view of the city. Along the water is a great place to stroll for many shops and you can take a gondola ride starting from here.

At 11 a.m. Nathan and I went on a tour to Murano, Burano and Torcello Islands with Alilaguna. It was a 4.5-hour tour to three small islands located about 30 - 50 minutes from the main island of Venice. Murano Island is well known for making the Venetian's fancy glassware for centuries. The tour dropped us off right in front of the glassware factory so that we could observe their glass making and shop for souvenirs. This island was rather quiet and didn’t have much to see or do other than strolling along the canal.

Burano Island was my favorite for the entire trip. It's a small fishing village full of colorful painted houses. There are a lot of restaurants and shops, and we just got a delicious pizza for lunch there. If you are tired of the bustle in Venice, Burano is a great place to escape the crowds and enjoy the slow pace of life with villagers. The last stop is at Torcello Island located just across the river from Burano. This island is the first settlement in the Venetian lagoon and there are two churches and a museum to visit for an extra cost. Around 3:30 p.m. the tour dropped us off at St. Mark's Square and we continued our stroll through the romantic city.

We went inside of St. Mark's Basilica and listened to Rick Steves's free audio guide "St. Mark's Basilica Tour." It is free to enter the basilica, but you have to pay for a visit to the Treasury and museum. The interior was just incredible, but taking photos wasn't allowed.

In the evening we just strolled through the city heading toward the train station. It's kinda funny to see the decayed, never repainted buildings in Italy as being artistic, but those in Asia to be like a rotten slum. I think the difference is the overall cleanliness of the buildings and the city.

At dinner we had some Italian food at a restaurant around Rialto Bridge. Food is expensive in Venice, but again where in Italy isn't? Italian food is my favorite along with Thai and Mexican food. Now that I have had so many wonderful meals in Italy, I don't know if I can go back to the States and eat at Olive Garden any more.

Overall, Venice is a wonderful, beautiful, and worth-visiting city. Things might be a bit overpriced, but we were able to travel within our budget. Just ride on vaporettos instead of a gondola.